Uplink-based user equipment tracking for connected inactive state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018124733-A1
Application number	US-201715789650-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	May 3, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and devices for uplink-based User Equipment (UE) tracking for UEs operating in a connected inactive operating state are provided. A transmit-receive point (TRP) transmits parameters to a UE that allow the UE to uniquely determine a UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned time-frequency (TF) resource that are independent of a TRP identifier associated with the TRP. The UE determines the UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource based at least in part on the parameters received from the TRP. While in the connected inactive operating state, the UE transmits a tracking signal that includes the UE-specific tracking sequence in accordance with the assigned TF resource. The TRP receives the tracking signal from the UE, detects the UE in accordance with the UE-specific tracking sequence to produce a UE detection status, and transmits a tracking response to the UE in accordance with the UE detection status.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
transmitting, from a transmit-receive point (TRP) in a communication network to a user equipment (UE), parameters that allow the UE to uniquely determine a UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned time-frequency (TF) resource, the UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource being independent of a transmit-receive point identifier (TRP ID) associated with the TRP; and receiving, at the TRP from the UE operating in a connected inactive operating mode, a tracking signal comprising the UE-specific tracking sequence in accordance with the assigned TF resource.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting the UE in accordance with the UE-specific tracking sequence to produce a UE detection status; and transmitting, from the TRP to the UE, a tracking response in accordance with the UE detection status.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tracking response comprises at least one of an acknowledgement that the UE is detected, timing advance information and power control information.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting the UE comprises jointly detecting the UE with at least one other TRP.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters include one or more of the following:
a UE identifier (ID) associated with the UE; a seed value for a pseudo random number generator; a hyper cell ID associated with a hyper cell that is associated with the UE; and a security key.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a cyclic shift; determining a root; and mapping the cyclic shift and the root to the UE ID.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the TRP to the UE, information indicating an assigned tracking signal format that is one of a plurality of different tracking signal formats, wherein receiving the tracking signal comprises receiving the tracking signal in accordance with the assigned tracking signal format.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising selecting, at the TRP, the assigned tracking signal format from among the plurality of different tracking signal formats based in part on at least one of:
a deployment scenario; a characteristic of the UE; a target tracking performance criterion; a frame structure; and uplink/downlink duplexing strategy.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, from the TRP to another UE, parameters that allow the other UE to uniquely determine another UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource, wherein the two UEs are in a hyper cell and the two UE-specific tracking sequences are non-orthogonal.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the connected inactive operating mode supports UE maintaining its connection to the network without constantly monitoring a control channel.

11 . A transmit-receive point (TRP) comprising:
a memory storage comprising instructions; and one or more processors in communication with the memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to: transmit parameters to a user equipment (UE) that allow the UE to uniquely determine a UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned time-frequency (TF) resource, the UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource being independent of a transmit-receive point identifier (TRP ID) associated with the TRP; and receive, from the UE operating in a connected inactive operating mode, a tracking signal comprising the UE-specific tracking sequence in accordance with the assigned TF resource.

12 . The network element of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:
detect the UE in accordance with the UE-specific tracking sequence to produce a UE detection status; and transmit, from the TRP to the UE, a tracking response in accordance with the UE detection status.

13 . The TRP of claim 11 , wherein the parameters include one or more of the following:
a UE identifier (ID) associated with the UE; a seed value for a pseudo random number generator; a hyper cell ID associated with a hyper cell that is associated with the UE; and a security key.

14 . The TRP of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to transmit information indicating an assigned tracking signal format that is one of a plurality of different tracking signal formats, wherein receiving the tracking signal comprises receiving the tracking signal in accordance with the assigned tracking signal format.

15 . The TRP of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to select, at the TRP, the assigned tracking signal format from among the plurality of different tracking signal formats based in part on at least one of:
a deployment scenario; a characteristic of the UE; a target tracking performance criterion; a frame structure; uplink/downlink duplexing strategy.

16 . The TRP of claim 11 , wherein the connected inactive operating mode supports UE maintaining its connection to the network without constantly monitoring a control channel.

17 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a user equipment (UE) from a transmit-receive point (TRP) in a communication network, parameters for allowing the UE to uniquely determine a UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned time-frequency (TF) resource, the UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource are independent of a transmit-receive point identifier (TRP ID) associated with the TRP; determining, at the UE, the UE-specific tracking sequence and assigned TF resource based at least in part on the parameters received from the TRP; and transmitting, from the UE operating in a connected inactive operating mode, a tracking signal comprising the UE-specific tracking sequence in accordance with the assigned TF resource.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising receiving, by the UE from the TRP, a tracking response after transmitting the tracking signal.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the tracking response comprises at least one of an acknowledgement that the UE is detected, time advance information and power control information.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein transmitting the tracking signal in the connected inactive operating mode comprises transmitting the tracking signal periodically, on demand, or a combination thereof.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the parameters include one or more of the following:
a UE ID associated with the UE; a seed value for a pseudo random number generator; a hyper cell ID associated with a hyper cell that is associated with the UE; and a security key.

22 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
identifying at least one uplink (UL) receive (Rx) antenna beam of the TRP based on: a known reciprocity of the TRP; and at least one downlink (DL) transmission (Tx) antenna beam of the TRP that the UE previously identified as being the Tx side of an optimal beam pair link (BPL) for DL reception; wherein transmitting the tracking signal from the UE operating in the connected inactive operating mode comprises sequentially transmitting the tracking signal on each UL Tx antenna beam of the UE when the TRP is scheduled to listen on the at least one identified UL Rx antenna beam.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein:
there is a mapping between TF resources for UL tracking signal transmission and DL Tx antenna beams; and sequentially transmitting the tracking signal on each UL Tx antenna beam of t

Assignees

• Vilaipornsawai Usa
• Baligh Mohammadhadi
• Zarifi Keyvan
• Lin Yicheng
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Vilaipornsawai Usa
• Baligh Mohammadhadi
• Zarifi Keyvan
• Lin Yicheng

Classifications

• H04W76/27

  Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states · CPC title

• H04W64/00 Primary

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W76/046

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title